LK Advani praises Narendra Modi at BJP conclave

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Sunday praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the party's election committee meeting, party sources said. The praise came three days after he disapproved Modi's criticism of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech on the Independence Day, saying that it was not the day to criticize each other.

In his concluding remarks at the meeting, Advani praised Modi for his emphasis on strengthening the party at the booth level and reaching out to each voter, party sources said. "He (Advani) endorsed speech of Modi," a party leader said.

Advani had resigned his key party posts in June, a day after Modi's elevation as chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign committee for the 2014 elections. However, he decided not to press his resignation after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh intervened.

BJP sources also said Modi in his speech said that 160 representatives from minority community had been elected on a BJP ticket to local bodies in Gujarat and asked the party cadre to reach out to all sections, including Muslims.